Lakota Life Part 2: Clear Sky
by Donna della Penna
Summary: We all know the story of Spirit, the brave mustang that won his freedom despite the odds. But what of the three Lakota horses he met in the village? In Part 2, we follow the grey stallion.
1. Clear Sky's Intro

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Dreamworks's or Kathleen Duey's original characters/plot. Clear Sky's narration will tend to focus on how Sierra came to the village, the period when Star and the others are gone, and other situations where Star had not been present, so the narration may be rushed, vague, or some combination thereof, and I apologize beforehand.)

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**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 1–Clear Sky's Intro**

She had been gone for two weeks already. She, Graceful Maiden, and Rain had been sent into the open, expansive grasslands beyond our valley home. I hoped that they would be all right, for they would be watched by army-men and enemy tribes, who would have no problem with capturing or killing them.

The mare that I've spoken of is named Bright Star of the West. She, along with her older sister and niece, had come to our village after they had been separated from their herd. The mustang trio quickly became a part of our semi-wild herd, regaling their experiences of the past. Star was made into a warhorse, and was valued for her speed and stamina. She is a valued friend among us, as well. I, personally, see her as more than that.

My name is Clear Sky, the warhorse of Half Moon, and a native of Chief Loud Fox's Blackfoot Lakota tribe.

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My story isn't nearly as exciting as Star's, I can tell you that. I was born in this village five years ago. My mother, Kita, was one shade darker than I, with light brown eyes and a calm, gentle personality. She taught me to be kind to others and to treasure the ones near and dear to me. My father, an iron grey stallion named Dark Shadow, taught about strength and pride in myself and my heritage. I admired them greatly, and I have lived by their beliefs since then.

My days as a colt had been like any other horse's, even though I did not have many other foals to play with. The other horses in our herd were either already adults or close to reaching that stage in their lives. The horse that had been closest to my age was Storm, and he'd been born an entire year before I, so he hadn't paid much attention to me. I'd mostly stayed by my parents' side.

When I was a yearling, Half Moon's father had carefully tied a thin cord around my neck, and had brought me to the pasture. In his hand had been a light cloth and another bunch of rope. I hadn't been sure about the reason why he'd brought them at all at first. Then, as he had laid the cloth on my back, removed the rope from my neck, and held the other rope so I was able to see it, I'd realized that he was going to teach me how to carry a human on my back. I'd tossed my head excitedly, for I had seen my mother and father decorated for hunting days, and had awaited the day I would be able to join them. They, along with Storm, Dusk (Loud Fox's black-and-white paint), and Storm's half-sister, were hunting and warhorses. Whenever they had gone out, they had been painted with bright colors and feathers had been attached to their manes and the vines that had hung from their mouths. They'd looked so elegant and courageous.

"Calm down, young one," the man said. "You must want to be with your friends, right?"

I'd tossed my head again as a response.

"I must say that it will not be easy. However, Half Moon has been learning to ride on your mother," he'd replied as he'd stepped closer, his bone necklace rattling softly. I'd seen the boy with Mother before that day, and had been somewhat disappointed. I'd wanted to learn at the same pace as he. Then, I'd figured that some experience would help.

"I have every bit of confidence in your adaptability, nevertheless,' he'd continued, "so you should have no trouble with the mouthpiece."

I'd known that was coming–Mother had told me about it. A section of rope was supposed to be tied to my lower jaw, between my front and back teeth, so my rider could tell me where to go. All of the horses I'd encountered had told me how much they'd hated wearing it. I hadn't exactly jumped at the chance to wear it, needless to say, but by the time I'd stopped brooding about it, the mouthpiece had already been tied on.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he'd said.

Well, no. it hadn't been bad. It hadn't made may mouth feel ridiculously odd, either.

I'd tossed my head and shaken myself, excited to have been looked upon with respect.

"Easy, easy, there," Half Moon's father had laughed. "You can't be this fidgety when Half Moon comes."

With excellent timing, the boy had ridden up to the pasture fence on my mother. She had sensed how well I'd been doing, and had smiled at me adoringly.

"Half Moon, my son, what timing you have! Your colt has been awaiting your arrival."

"Really?" He slid from my mother's back and came closer. "Why do you say that, Father?"

"Clear Sky is ready to begin his training."

"Really?! So soon?!" the boy cried happily. "May I start now?"

"Of course you may–the sooner the better." Half Moon had embraced his father, and then me. My mother had nodded to me reassuringly, and had walked to Half Moon's father and nuzzled his shoulder.

"I will take Kita away and care for her, and then I will return to check on you."

"All right, Father."

"Be careful, now." He and my mother had slowly walked back into the village.

Half Moon had then turned to face me, his eyes sparkling with determination. "Now then, Clear Sky, let's see how you'll do with someone on your back."

That, I'd quickly realized, hadn't been so terrible at all, for Half Moon had yet to grow up to a mature man, so his weight had not been too great at all. For a while after mounting, he'd merely sat still, allowing me to grow accustomed to the feeling of him being there. Then, he'd gently tapped my sides with his heels, and, naturally, I'd moved away from the sensation. I'd expected to be chided for reacting that way, but had been rewarded instead.

"Father was right! You're a very fast learner!" he'd said. "Let's try a turn now." He'd tapped my sides again, that time holding his legs against my sides so as to apply constant pressure, and had leaned to his right slightly while pulling my head to the left. I'd followed the pressure on my back and in my mouth, and had been praised after a successful left turn. We'd done the same thing for a right turn (with his weight to the left and the pull to the right, that is), and then he'd pulled back on my mouth and stopped squeezing my sides, so I'd stopped. He'd been so happy when he'd dismounted! He'd allowed me to take a break, rope in my mouth and all, and I'd taken the opportunity to seek out my parents.

My father had seen me first, and had woken my mother from a nap as I barreled toward them.

"I take it your lesson has gone well so far?" he'd asked with a grin.

"Yes!" I'd replied ecstatically. "I can't believe how easy it is! All I have to do is follow Half Moon's guides, and we're going without a problem!"

"Have you trotted yet? Cantered? Galloped? Those exercises won't be so easy," my mother had said.

"No, I guess not." I'd forgotten–we wouldn't be able to walk into battle or on the hunt.

"Walking is one thing, but you also have to learn to balance your rider while you trot, canter, and gallop, and that includes turns."

". . . . Oh."

"How did it feel when he was just sitting there, before you started moving?"

"Well. . . it felt like he was sitting squarely in the middle of my back."

"That's how it should be. You must do whatever you can to assure that your rider has his balance. If he falls, especially in war or during a hunt, when one is moving as fast as one can go, a fall from a horse can be crippling, or even deadly. Part of this training period is to teach horses and riders to move as one body, and to know when something is wrong with the other. Do you understand, Clear Sky?"

"Yes I do, Mother," I'd said.

After the sun had moved across the sky, making the shadows extend out from under their sources, I'd heard Half Moon calling for me. I'd left my parents to find him; he was at the pasture already.

"Hello, Clear Sky. Didi you enjoy yourself? I hope the rope didn't get in the way," he'd said to me. I actually hadn't eaten–I'd been too excited to eat. I'd decided to make my parents proud of me, to carry myself and my rider with pride.

For the rest of the afternoon, Half Moon had walked me around the pasture, making me do lazy circles and arcs, even setting up logs so I could weave amongst them. The day after that, I trotted; then I cantered; and then I finally galloped (the canter and gallop were performed around the entire village). I can't explain how I felt to be Half Moon's horse, even today. I can say that it was so fulfilling to be trusted by a kind human like him. . . me, who was twice his size.

My parents had been just as happy, if not happier. Soon, they'd said, they would teach me all their was to know about being a warhorse of the Blackfoot, and I would run beside them during a charge. . .

I never got the chance.


	2. Deathtoll

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Dreamworks's or Kathleen Duey's original characters)

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**Lakota Life: Part 2**

**Chapter 2–Death-toll**

One day, a few months later, in early fall, Storm, his half-sister, Dusk, and my parents were taken into the village from our pasture and decorated. The villagers had been saying that they were running low on meat, and that the buffalo were in plenty. They'd decided to hunt before the buffalo moved on. Half Moon and I had been told to stay behind, for the soldiers had been harassing other tribes and had been seen by our own scouts. I suppose I should have been happy to protect the village, but I'd been worried about my family and friends more.

"Don't worry yourself, dear," my mother had said softly.

"We'll be all right. Just do your duty," my father had added.

"But–"

"Listen to your parents, young one," Dusk had said unemotionally. "They are the best among us." My parents had disregarded the compliment and bid me a warm farewell, and then they'd all left. I'd watched them until they disappeared over the hill that leads into our valley.

Already bored, I'd decided to walk through the village and see what the humans were up to. Half Moon had been busy helping his mother with her basket-weaving, and the others had either been cleaning their tents, working with baskets or cloth, or mending broken tools. The dogs had even stopped running around, and had settled down to nap in the sun. I'd gone back to the pasture and rolled in the grass for the fun of it, and had looked around.

Then I'd spotted her. . . the new horse from a trade deal.

"That's right," I'd thought, "I can talk to her until the others come back." I'd stood up and shaken the grass and dirt from my coat, and politely walked over to her.

She had a light-grey body with a dark muzzle, an even lighter mane, brown eyes, and an overall sturdy appearance. She'd pricked her ears forward and swished her tail, eager to be around another horse. She'd been put into a pen and allowed to watch us, but she had been the only horse in there. I hadn't been able to fathom how lonely she must have felt.

I'd stopped near the fence, off to her left, and said, "Hello. My name is Clear Sky."

"Hello," she'd replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Clear Sky. My name is Adalia. Why didn't you go out with the other horses? Are you ill?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. I'm just too young to go hunting. Why did you think I'm ill?"

"That's how it was at the fort–if a horse was ill, it didn't leave its stall."

"What do you mean by a 'fort'?"

"That's where army horses live, along with their riders."

"How did you get here?"

"The humans traded me for those club things. . . . You know, the ones with stones on the end."

"Oh, you mean tomahawks. How did you end up at the other village?"

"I ran away from the fort, along with other horses, and was found by the humans."

"Why?"

". . . . Have you ever seen an army horse and the mark it wears?"

"No."

"Well, the mark I'm talking about is similar to the marks your friends wear, except they are neither colorful nor a pleasure to have. It is made with a hot piece of metal, not paint, and all horses of the army wear it for their entire lives."

"The mark can't come off?"

"No, never; the heat burns through the coat and skin. The pain lasts for days, I've been told."

"Why don't you have one?"

"A few months ago, when I'd turned one year old, I was to be marked with the metal rod. The yearling in front of me bucked violently when he felt its sting, and the firebox that was used to heat embers all over the grass. Those of us waiting for our turn broke away from our handlers and ran out of the fort through the open gate, smelling smoke form the burning grass. We split up when we were out in the open, and I haven't heard anything about my friends–whether they are alive or dead, that is. I was traveling alone for days, scared and afraid. One day, when I'd stopped to drink from a stream, I was found by humans much like these."

"Were the soldiers different from these humans at all?"

"Oh, yes. Some of them were as kind as these humans; some were downright cruel."

"Were they good trainers? Did they hurt you when they taught you to carry them on your back?"

"It depended on the horse they were working with. I myself don't know, for I was too young to start training."

"But, you're more than a year old now."

"Army horses don't learn to carry a human until they're around three years of age."

"Really? That late?"

"Yes. They aren't fully trained until they're four or so."

"Why such a long time training?"

"We first learn how to behave away from other horses and around humans. Our manners must be impeccable before we're ready for breaking in."

"I see."

"Enough about me, Clear Sky. Tell me about your friends. What are their names? What are they like?"

"Well, which horse do you want to know about first?"

"'The grey horses you talk to all the time."

I'd felt myself grin. "They're my parents, Dark Shadow and Kita (father and mother, respectively)."

"Really? They look so nice."

"They are, and a lot of the humans are fond of them."

"What about the paint mare?"

"That's Dusk. She's the Chief's horse, and she always gives us advice and solves our problems."

"And the colt and filly?"

"The colt is Storm, and the filly is his half-sister, Rona. They're friendly, but they're both very quiet, Rona especially."

"Oh. I guess that makes us companions, then," she'd replied with a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"We're the only ones our age, aren't we?"

"That's true."

"Besides, I'll probably start training soon, so you won't be alone anymore."

I'd looked forward to those days, and Adalia and I became good friends. By the time she had been allowed to leave the corral and join Half Moon and I the pasture, a rider had already been chosen for her. He was a year younger than Half Moon, but he was just as tall. His name was Silent Wind. We'd been working so much that we'd almost forgotten about the hunting party, and how long they'd been gone.

"Should we be worried, Clear Sky? It's been four days," Adalia had whispered one night.

"I don't think so. The villagers haven't said anything. Besides, my mother told me that hunters can be away from the village for weeks."

"But, aren't the soldiers out there? What if they were attacked?"

"Don't worry, Adalia. I'm sure they're all right."

"If you say so."

Two more days had passed before anything happened, and we'd all been overwhelmed with the way word of our friends came.

It had been mid-day, and the weather had started to become colder. The trees had lost nearly half of their leaves, and we'd all begun to shield ourselves from the cold–the humans had their animal skins, and we had our winter coats. Adalia and I had been grazing off of the remaining grass when we'd heard whinnies, yells, and what had sounded like thunder. Adalia had reared in surprise, screaming in fright, eyes rimmed.

"What is ti?" I's cried.

"Gunshots!" She'd brought her forelegs to the ground, wheeled around, and disappeared into the village.

"Clear Sky! Clear Sky, come here!"

I'd dug my hooves into the ground and bolted in the same direction as Adalia, looking for Half Moon. He'd stopped calling for me, so I'd no idea of where to look. I'd slid to a halt and looked at the ridge, hating what I saw.

Flying along the ground had been Storm and Dusk, Chief Loud Fox and Storm's rider trying to keep their seats. Behind them, looking very different, had been the source of the loud blasts–the soldiers. They'd been wearing a blue shirt, grey pants, white gloves, and they'd been firing their guns into the air. Their horses had been struggling to keep up. As they drew closer, I'd been able to see a mark on their left shoulder and their lack of a mane.

"Wait!" I'd screamed in my mind. "Where are Mother, Father, and Rona?! Where are their riders?! What's going on?!"

A weight on my back had pulled me out of my thoughts–Half Moon had finally seen me and mounted. He'd shifted his body, which sent e plunging forward, straight toward the others. Storm had whinnied to me, though it'd been too low for me to hear, and as he'd rushed past us in a blur, I'd felt a surge of wind over my head. Half Moon had released and arrow, hitting a soldier in the chest and sending him to the ground. His horse had turned and ran back up the hill. Half Moon had directed me toward the village in a wide arc and hit another soldier on the back of the head with a club as he faced off with Silent Wind. His horse had reared when he'd slumped over and hit Adalia in the neck. She'd reeled away and shaken her head to rid herself of the shock.

"How many soldiers are left?" Half Moon had called to Silent Wind.

"Two, but the villagers have already taken care of them. Look."

He'd been right, for some of the most placid women and children had taken up sticks and forced the soldiers from their horses, who had fled like their two companions. Then they'd tied the soldiers up and left them in the outskirts of the village. (I don't know what happened to them after this, though.)

As quickly as it had started, it had ended. Half Moon and Silent Wind had dismounted and ran into the village, and Adalia and I had joined Storm and Dusk. We hadn't been sure of what to do or say. Storm had sunk to his knees and sighed.

"What's happened, Dusk?" I'd asked. "Where are my parents and Rona?" Storm had whinnied in despair at the mention of his half-sister.

"Dear Clear Sky. . . ." she'd said. "They. . . we. . . . We were on our way back into the valley with food when we were attacked, you see, and. . . your parents and Rona were killed."

My jaw had dropped to the point where I'd thought it'd reached my hooves.

"Clear Sky, I'm so sorry," she'd went on. "We went ahead to get help, for we were just a few hours away from here, but the soldiers hounded us, and then backed off for a while. We'd checked on them, but they were already gone. Then the soldiers came back with reinforcements and chased us here."

"'Their riders?" I'd croaked.

"'Dead," she'd replied as she looked away.

"No. . . ."

"I'm sorry," Adalia said while nuzzling my shoulder.

"How were they killed?"

"'Gunshot wounds."

I'd nodded deftly, that much I remember. My memories are vague (if you couldn't already tell by my description) until the burial ceremony. Late in the evening, after the entire afternoon had been spent in preparation, a massive pile of wood had been erected some distance from the village. When the sun had all but disappeared, a burning stick had been tossed onto the pile, and everything glowed orange soon after. People had danced a slow, melancholy dance around the fire, chanting all the while. Dusk, Storm, Adalia, and I had watched respectfully.

The dancing and chanting had continued for the longest time, and then Loud Fox had stood before his people and addressed them. I know not what he said, for the roaring of the fire had been too loud. When he'd finished, the villagers had cheered and begun to dance again, faster and more cheerful than before.

I'd stamped a foot angrily and snorted, "How can they do this?! Good people and horses are gone!"

"Hush, young one," Dusk had said. "They are celebrating our loved ones' journey to the Great Beyond. They are out of pain and in a place where every living creature goes in the end. It's a very important part of the mourning process."

"Is that true?" Adalia had asked.

"I myself do not know, for I am merely a horse, but the medicine man knows. Loud Fox respects him and follows his judgement, as do the villagers."

Half Moon and Silent Wind had come over to us and brought us apples to eat, and my human partner slipped something around my neck.

"Here, Clear Sky," he'd said. "It's your mother's amulet. We wear our loved one's clothing when they pass on, so you should, too." I'd nudged his shoulder and he'd rubbed my ears, and then he had rejoined the villagers. I'd turned to Storm, thinking Silent Wind had thought the same thought as Half Moon. He had, and the colt had been wearing Rona's blanket. I'd hoped that I would never know any other kind of human, and that I could stay in that village, in that valley for the rest of my life.


	3. Sierra

**Disclaimer:I do not own any of Kathleen Duey's/Dreamworks' original characters, although I do overlap with a battle scenario in the second book in the Spirit of the Cimarron series, "Sierra," (found on pages 74 and 75), and with the names of two of the story's characters.**

**This is a long one, folks, so bear with me.**

**Oh, I was reading this chapter over and realized there was an inconsistency with Soaring Eagle (I'd put him in the winter scene when he wasn't supposed to have been born yet.) I've corrected the problem, and I apologize to those who have read up to this point.

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**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 3: Sierra**

Two years had passed without much fuss. Storm had grown into a fine stallion during that time, and Adalia (re-named Graceful Maiden by her rider) and I had been made into top-notch warhorses. Silent Wind and Half Moon had a few short years to go until adulthood, too. The deaths of my parents and Rona had made us strong and adaptable, and we'd never forgotten them.

The winter of my third year had been cold and very snowy, but the number of humans had increased despite these conditions. The village had been in need of more horses, but it had to hold out until spring, when the herds of wild horses would journey to their spring homes. One day, Storm, a few other horses, and I had been sent on a hunting trip, snow and all. The buffalo were long gone, so there had been no use in going out onto the plains. We'd ventured into the woods beyond the stream instead, looking for deer.

We'd spotted a herd after a few hours, and just as our riders prepared to strike, one of the riders had alerted the rest to an even better sight. A small fire had been visible in a clearing some distance away, several soldiers huddles around their only source of heat. Between our position and theirs had stood their horses, more than likely feeling miserable and cold. The men had probably been sent to our land as scouts for the rest of the army, and it'd appeared that they had not discovered our location. They hadn't seen nor heard us either.

"What should we do?" Storm's rider had asked quietly.

"We should take their horses, of course. If we do, they will not be able to follow us, nor will they be able to go back to their companions and tell them that they have seen us. It is too cold for them to survive a long time without their horses," another had replied.

"We are in need of horses to begin with," Half Moon had added. "These can carry us through the winter until we bring more in the spring."

"Very well. We'll go," the first had concluded.

With that, we'd edged forward until we were within a few yards of the soldiers. Their backs had been to us, and their horses had been so surprised to see us that they had been unable to say a word. Half Moon had quietly slid from my back and snuck toward the horses, cutting their vines with a sharp knife. All had gone well until, while Half Moon had been freeing the fourth horse, a snow-covered stick snapped, startling the soldiers. We'd been in plain sight.

"Hey, those Lakota thieves are taking our horses! Get 'em!"

Half Moon had scrambled over to me and climbed onto my back, and we'd taken off with three of the horses. The soldiers had mounted and followed us, firing their guns and screaming. We'd been far faster, for our riders did not use the soldiers' heavy saddles (and they still don't). At length, we'd allowed the stolen horses to run free and turned to face our pursuers. The moment of impact is a blur, but in the end, Storm and another horse had ended up without riders and ran from the scene. The soldiers had lost two of their men, as well, and had backed down from the fight. I'd lost sight of Storm in the melee, and we'd galloped out of the clearing towards the village, taking the new horses with us.

When we'd arrived, the village grieved for the loss of two more warriors and horses, and the lack of deer meat had been forgotten. We'd been groomed and left to ourselves soon after that, and had hardly been able to fathom what had happened.

"Do you think Storm will be able to find his way back?" Graceful Maiden had asked.

"I don't know," his mother had replied. "If he isn't killed, he may be taken in by other humans, and hopefully they behave as our own behave."

"I see." The other horses had looked as dejected as the colt had.

"He's too smart to be killed," I'd said. "He'll stay alive, I know it."

"Poor Big Shoulders and Little Colt, losing their loved one that way," Dusk had said sadly.

Storm had been missing until spring of that year, when he'd miraculously appeared on the hill. His owners, Little Colt and Big Shoulders, had practically dragged him into the village, announcing to all:

"Storm had returned! Look! He is alive!"

Graceful Maiden had whinnied to the very skies above us when Little Colt had brought him to our pasture, rearing and prancing happily. Dusk had whinnied in her deep voice, and I had beaten the air with my hooves. He'd sent his own whinny back and had been released, running a circle around us.

"We're so happy to see you!" Graceful Maiden had said, nipping his shoulder playfully as he'd passed.

"We'd thought we'd lost you," the elder mare had added emotionally. "You would have missed the big event."

"What event is that?" he'd asked as we'd grinned.

"Well, you see," she'd said in a low, warm tone, "I carry a foal, and it will come soon."

Storm's eyes had sparkled and warmed as he'd rubbed his head against her own affectionately. Then he'd said, "That makes two new arrivals."

"What do you mean?"

With the same gentle look on his face, he'd looked at the ridge over his shoulder, and then he'd turned back and replied, "When I was separated from you, I met a young mare. She was by herself and scared. Over the past few months, we've been making our way back to the village, and we've learned a great deal from each other. She carries my foal."

"Your foal will be welcomed warmly, Storm, as will your mate. What is her name?"

"'Sierra."

Storm had been taken to see the mare to graze after we'd been watered and fed, for she had been a wild horse and was very wary of the humans, even as the year had progressed. Dusk had given birth to a colt when the trees were in full bloom, and he had been named Soaring Eagle. Later, as the weather had begun to grow cool, the mare had borne Storm's foal, and the news had made our desire to meet her even stronger. We'd known nothing beyond her name and her attachment to our friend. We hadn't been allowed to go near the family at all. Storm had stayed with his mate and offspring an entire day, and had come to us full of pride the day after that.

"Is Sierra all right?" Graceful Maiden had asked.

"Yes," the new father had replied.

"What is the foal's name?" I'd asked next.

"'Rain. She is a beautiful sorrel pinto."

"Will we meet them soon?"

"I don't know. If anything, they'll let her meet Dusk and Soaring Eagle before introducing her to the rest of our herd."

"Why's that?"

"She might feel better about coming into the village if she knows there's another new mother around."

"That's true," Dusk had said. "Many wild horses have told me that pregnant and brand-new mothers often group together."

Storm had gone off to be with Sierra again soon after our conversation had ended, and after that, Loud Fox had arrived to visit Dusk and her son.

"Come, Dusk. We must bring the mare into the village. It is not good for her to be along on the other side of the valley." He'd patted her on the neck, and she'd nickered to her son as she'd followed obediently. They'd been gone for a short while before returning. Dusk and Soaring Eagle walked in front of Storm, Sierra, and Rain, the mare visibly tense and nervous. She was a pleasant sight, with an expressive face, bright eyes, and a sorrel body color with a blaze and white blotches on her legs and hindquarters. On her hip were two curved blue lines, and in her mane was a string of wooden beads.

I'd been closer to them at the time, and had whinnied to the mare quietly. She'd hesitated in her step, then had gathered herself and exchanged breath with me. She'd done the same with Graceful Maiden, Dusk, and the other horses, and had abruptly realized that Rain was not near her. (Rain and Soaring Eagle had apparently grown bored with what we'd been up to and had gone off to play.) She'd started and whinnied frantically, and then had relaxed when the filly had bounded up to her as if nothing had happened. Soaring Eagle had trotted to his mother and stood near her; the paint nuzzled his cheek lovingly.

Sierra hadn't stayed close to us at first, although we'd talked occasionally, but she'd eventually grown to trust us, and became as fond of the humans as we were.


	4. The Trio

**Author's Note: This is the last chapter in which you'll have to deal with extreme past-tense narrative. In case it isn't clear alter on, the "suicide-mission" discussed later in this chapter is the journey Rain and her friends go on that leads to their encounter with Spirit.**

**Also, if I have not mentioned this in earlier chapters of this or any other part of the ****Lakota Life**** series, I shall do so now. The horses who are named, whether they are my OC's or borrowed characters, are only part of the herd in Little Creek's village. There are still horses in various scenes who are not in these stories at all (e.g., the scene where Spirit is first brought to the village, or the scene where Rain and Sprit reunite after her injury). **

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Dreamworks's or Kathleen Duey's original characters)**

**Lakota Life: Part 2**

**Chapter 4: The Trio**

Another three years went by, and at six years old, I was as tall as my father had been. Rain and Soaring Eagle were nearly adults and had been given their own riders. There were more people in the village, too, and horses were needed urgently. The humans hadn't noticed yet, but I'd doubted it would take long before they did notice.

One day in early spring, when the snow had melted and the ground had softened, Dusk, Graceful Maiden, and I had been taken to our riders' tents. Food had begun to run low again, so we were to go hunting. Loud Fox had painted four green circles on the mare's left hip and had secured feathers to her vine. Graceful Maiden had been adorned with three hoof-shaped marks on her left shoulder, and I had been given a blue circle around my right eye. We'd been very excited, for the winter had been harsh and snowy, and we'd hardly stretched our legs. A run for deer or rabbit meat would calm our restless spirits.

We'd gathered together at the bottom of the hill and were about to leave when two young men came to speak with Loud Fox.

"Your Grace?" the one had said. He was rather lean with his dark hair drawn into two sections behind his head with strips of leather, and the other wore his hair unbound. Both wore light deerskin pants.

"What is it?"

"May we...go with you? You may need more people to help you with the hunt, and Rain and Soaring Eagle are strong enough to keep up now."

Loud Fox hadn't replied right away, and had just looked the young men over. Then he'd said, "Hurry and get ready."

"Thank you so much, Your Grace!" they'd exclaimed, immediately running off to find their horses.

"Hmm," the chief had said to himself, "Soaring Eagle still seems young to go hunting." Dusk had nudged his shoulder, and he'd gently rubbed her nose. "You of all creatures would know whether he's ready or not, wouldn't you?" The mare had nickered deep in her throat in response.

The men rode up on Soaring Eagle and Rain at that moment, not bothering to decorate them. Dusk had beamed at the sight of her son going out on his first hunt. **(A/N: I'm sure you know who's riding Rain.)**

"Are we ready?" Half Moon had asked.

"Yes," they'd replied.

"Let's go, then." He'd hoisted himself onto my back, and had to hush me because I'd been fidgeting impatiently, wanting to start the trip. Loud Fox and the others had followed, and then we'd started up the hill.

After the hill leveled out at the top, it was a straight run to the large, tree-surrounded meadow and then the grasslands, where the deer and rabbits thrived at this time of year. (The shrubbery hadn't finished growing in yet, so there was not much food for them in the forests.) Silent Wind and Soaring Eagle's rider set their horses into an elevated trot, cheering and whooping for the sheer excitement of it; Loud Fox and Half Moon laughed at their antics, but did not join in.

"The new fathers aren't the only ones excited this year," Loud Fox said to himself.

Half Moon had heard anyway. "Indeed, You Grace."

"Hey, look over there!" Silent Wind had called suddenly.

Thinking of danger, Dusk, Graceful Maiden, Soaring Eagle, and I had whipped our heads up, flaring our nostrils to try and scent whatever Silent Wind had seen.

Graceful Maiden had whinnied softly, and we'd followed her gaze, which had been set on three horses–two mares and a filly. They were wild, for they smelled of the lands beyond our own, just as Sierra had.

One mare had made a run for it and then returned to her companions' side, and I couldn't help but keep my attention focused on her, even as she eyed us warily. She was a solid coppery-brown, with no dapples or white marks to disrupt her coat. Her mane and tail were nearly the same color as her body, and she had bright, dark-brown eyes. The other mare was almost identical to the first, though her mane and tail were darker than her body, as were her legs. The filly was a reddish-palomino, with honey-brown eyes.

Dusk had shaken her head impatiently, wanting to go back to what we'd intended to do, I expect. I'd looked back at the three horses as we'd moved on, and had been glad they hadn't seen me do so.

Half Moon had tugged the rope, pulling my head to the front. "Now, now, Clear Sky, no fancying mares on a hunt."

We'd managed to bring down a large deer, and as we'd brought it back, the three mustangs had been watching us. We hadn't been sure why they'd been so interested, and we'd definitely been confused when they'd begun to follow us. They'd stopped when they had reached the bottom of the hill and had seen us go into the village.

"Can you see them?" Graceful Maiden had asked softly.

"Yes," Storm had answered. "They're handsome, I'll give them that. Of course, they could be ill-tempered."

"As if they didn't have the right to be ill-tempered," Dusk had said sarcastically.

"It's odd," Half Moon had said to Silent Wind as he'd wiped the blue paint fro my body.

"What is?" the other had asked.

"'The three mustangs. It's odd that they've come here."

"They are looking for food, water, and shelter, and we must give it to them. These animals are smart enough to know they will have a home here," Loud Fox had interjected.

Half Moon and Silent Wind, of course, couldn't argue with the chief, so they'd said nothing after that. When we'd been turned out to pasture, we'd told Sierra, Storm, and Rain about the horses.

"They probably figured they'd be safe here, since they saw all of you with your riders," Sierra had said in her soft tone.

"They looked weak," Graceful Maiden had said next. "I hope they aren't ill."

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves in the morning," I'd said.

"That would be good idea," the paint mare had replied.

"But wouldn't our coming there make them nervous?" her son had asked.

"I don't think so. It might help become less fearful, actually."

"Why do you think they're here in the first place?"

"They must have gotten separated from their herd somehow."

"Clear Sky, isn't there a large river some distance away?" Graceful Maiden had chimed in.

"Yes, and our valley is really half of an even larger valley, and the river is the divider between both halves. The river could have overflowed."

"But to that extent?"

"Apparently so."

"We'll simply go over to them (provided they're still there in the morning) and settle their nerves," Dusk had said conclusively.

We'd heard a commotion from the humans, not knowing what it had been about, and had lapsed into silence. We'd gone to sleep quickly, and the nest morning, the villagers had once again been in an uproar.

"The three horses are still there!" a young woman, clad in a long and fringed buckskin dress, said to her two friends. The latter, who were on their way to the stream (a branch of the river in the valley) to gather water, looked up abruptly.

"Really?" the one had said, her long hair unbound.

"How strange," the other had remarked, her hair in one long, loose braid down her back, "that three horses would stay so close to the village, especially since we let the dogs out before."

"They aren't wolves, so they probably wouldn't have much interest in horse meat," the one wearing the fringed dress had said.

We hadn't been able to hear the rest of their conversations, as they'd quickly walked out of earshot, so Dusk, Rain, and I had ventured over to the other side of the village to say hello.

The darker mare had woken up her coppery friend, and the filly had pricked her ears up and flared her nostrils. As we'd drawn closer, she'd taken a tense step forward.

"I guess Rain has another playmate," I'd thought.

I'd been eyeing the copper-colored mare, admiring her strong, well-proportioned conformation. I'd sensed. . . well, I don't know what I'd sensed, but it had been a good feeling, whatever it had been.

She'd looked at me, finally, and I'd smiled and tossed my head. She'd looked at me in puzzlement this time, and then a Rain.

When Dusk had stopped talking, I'd said, "My name is Clear Sky."

"And I am Rain." The palomino filly had seemed to lose control of herself and reared playfully. Rain had accepted the invitation and bounded after her. Both ran around in circles, bucking and nipping each other.

"How did you get here? Do you have names?" Dusk had asked.

"Names?"

"Why do they seem so surprised?" I'd thought.

"Well," the darker mare had said, "we were separated from our herd by an overflowing river. And no, we do not have names."

Well, we'd been right about the river, but how could they not have been named? Sierra hadn't mentioned anything about it–horses not having names, that is. She'd said that her mother, Bonita, had given her that name when she'd been born, and I'd had the impression that all horses, whether wild or tamed, had been named.

"Well, that won't do. If you stay here, you will be fed, sheltered, and treated well," Dusk had concluded with a smile, and she'd turned around without another word. I'd begun to fall in step behind the darker mare when I'd realized that her coppery companion had stayed put. I'd trotted back to her.

"What's the matter? Don't you want to come?"

She'd looked away from me. "Well, I. . .I do, but. . . ."

"What?"

"The dogs the humans have. . .they won't hurt us, will they?"

"No, no, of course not! Do you think Dusk, the others, and I would be here if they were dangerous?"

"I guess not."

"You'll be fine. Come." I'd smiled again, hoping to calm her and gain her trust.

With a little sigh and a relaxed expression, she'd given in and followed me into the village. I'd heard her gasp as she'd looked around, seeing fires burning, people talking, children playing, and the carefree atmosphere of it all.

"You live here?" she'd asked in amazement.

"Yes. Do you like what you see so far?"

"Oh, yes! It's so peaceful here."

"It can be."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," I'd replied quickly.

"Oh."

To change the subject, I'd asked, "Were you three alone for long?"

"Oh, no, 'just for a few days. We were on our way to our spring home when the river flooded."

"I see. Tell me, how do you know one another?"

"The mare is my elder sister, and the filly is her daughter."

"Really?"

"Yes," she'd said happily. That had explained the mares' resemblance, at least.

The mustangs had been taken to the corral some days after, and soon they were given their new roles. The darker mare had been named "Calm Waters," and was to be used as a brood mare; the filly had been given the name "Brook," also to be kept as a brood mare; the copper-mare, whom I had quickly become fond of, had been named "Bright Star of the West," for a small white mark on her left (or "west-facing") side, and had been chosen to fight alongside Graceful Maiden, Storm, Sierra, Rain, Soaring Eagle, and I as a warhorse. (We'd all thought the coppery mare's name was too long, so we'd started calling her "Star" immediately.) Our little herd had begun to grow once again, after losing so many.

I must admit that the events of the year had been few in number, and I thus do not remember much at all. Therefore, I conclude my trek through the past, and bring you into the present. I am a short distance away from the others as I brood and think about the suicide-mission she's been sent on. Above me, the stars shine brighter than they ever have before, for it is a very clear night. Tonight, the stars need no help from the moon to light the earth. I hope she, Graceful Maiden, and Rain are all right, unhurt, and planning on coming home soon. Sierra has been distraught ever since they left–I can still remember her sorrowful whinnies to Rain as if they'd gone just hours ago.

I looked up at the stars, mesmerized by their glittery light.

"Are you looking at them, too, Star? Do they grant you the same peace of mind as I?"

I lowered my head, ready to go to sleep, and I tipped my left hind-hoof off of the ground, feeling my muscles relax as I breathed deeply.

"Such starry nights let my heart soar wherever it wishes to go," I thought. "Right now, it's way to you." Thinking of her sent a tingle down my spine, making my tail lash out. As the prickly tingle subsided, sleep came and took me away.


	5. Calm Water's Advice and the Reunion

**Author's Note: This takes place while Graceful Maiden/Silent Wind, Rain/Little Creek, and Star/Swift Deer are away.**

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Dreamworks's or Kathleen Duey's original characters)**

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 5: Calm Waters' Advice and the Reunion**

* * *

Today was another hunting day, and I would not be going. Half Moon was an adult now, and he had married a kind girl named Blue Wolf. He had a few days left to be along with her.

I watched as Storm, Sierra, and Soaring Eagle got ready. Dusk was not allowed to go hunting any longer, for a fall had damaged her foreleg during previous hunt, so she was kept as a brood mare along with Calm Waters and Brook. The hunting group was losing a valuable mount as it was, and as Star, Rain, and Graceful Maiden were gone, they were further weakened.

The thought of the grey and coppery mare saddened me, for they were still out on the plains somewhere, looking for more horses for a large number of warriors. The idea of their demise stung like a bee-sting, and I tried to rid myself of it. It always came back, though, hurting more and more each time.

Storm whinnied to me, and I replied half-heartedly. I wanted to be with them, even if some else rode on my back, the thrill of the chase giving me peace from troubling thoughts. Half Moon didn't even come to visit me. I grazed some feet away from the mares, feeling depressed and lonely.

I wondered what it would be like if Star and I were on our own together for a little while, like Storm had been with Sierra four years ago. They must have shared to much with each other. (What am I saying? Of course they shared. That's how Rain came along, isn't it?) They must have given each other the strength they needed to get through the winter. Storm would have been alone and far from the village, and Sierra would have been terrified to be alone in unknown territory.

"Clear Sky, are you all right?"

I looked up at Calm Water's concerned face and just stared. Her dark mane fell around her in and gently fluttered in the breeze. In the time I'd know her, I hadn't had many conversations with her.

"Clear Sky?"

"Oh, I'm okay."

She smiled a little. "Now you lie. What's got you so gloomy today?"

"It's nothing. I just really wanted to go hunting today."

"There will be other hunts."

"I know."

"...You miss them, don't you? Especially one particular mare?"

Surely, she didn't know?! "I do miss them. We all do."

"But you miss Graceful Maiden the most, don't you?"

"Thank goodness, she didn't see the truth!" I thought as I sighed with relief.

"Well, I–" I began.

"My sister is worthy of such affection, wouldn't you agree?" she asked wryly.

"Wait, you just said–"

"I said you liked Graceful Maiden to see your reaction, because I wasn't sure which one appealed to you more. You relaxed as if your true secret hadn't been discovered. So, do you fancy her?"

"Well...yes."

"I thought so. Why haven't you brought this to her attention, then?"

"I..don't know."

"Is it because you think she won't notice? She thinks highly of you, you know."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"How do you know? Did she tell you?"

"She doesn't need to tell me. I can see as much for myself."

"...Oh." Was I that obvious?

"I know how you feel. I keep thinking about the last expedition, too, and I pray that Star and the other come home alive every day. Dusk worries for Soaring Eagle more than either one of us, I think. You are not the only one who frets and worries for them, so do not sit here and brood alone. If they return, and I know they will, you should make your feelings for Star known."

"But–"

"Trust me, Clear Sky." She smiled and left me before I could respond.

* * *

It's been two days now, and Calm Waters' worlds still buzz in my mind. I haven't been able to think of anything special to say or do with Star. When she came home, if she came home, she would probably be with her sister and niece more than with her friends. Only the spirits knew what they were going through.

Night has just descended, and the stars are as clear as day again, and with them is a sliver of the moon. My shadow stretches before me, following the grooves in the ground. Smoke from the fires within the tents wafts my way on the breeze, and it's one of the reasons why I can't sleep (the stuff stings my eyes).

"Please let them be all right," I thought. Loud Fox was even beginning to worry, commenting that they were supposed to have been back by now.

"What if they've been captured by another tribe or the army?" I continued frantically. They could be stuck out there because of injury, possibly on the very edge of death. What will we do without them? Storm, Sierra, Soaring Eagle, and I can't defend the village by ourselves. Brook and Calm Waters, even though they'd make good replacements, aren't enough. We'd still be at a disadvantage. A violent chill traveled down my spine, causing me to swish my tail and shake my head. "Stop thinking that way! They're fine, and they'll come back!"

"Clear Sky?"

I turned around, and Calm Waters was standing behind me again.

"Hello, Calm Waters. What brings you here?"

"There was an apple left over, and I thought you might want it." She picked up the red piece of fruit and offered it to me. I bit into it and chewed slowly. As I did so, she added, "You look gloomy again."

"Do I?"

"You're a horrible liar, Clear Sky." The mare came to me and touched her muzzle to mine. "You mustn't be so depressed, not when they're going to be back soon."

"What makes you say that?"

It's instinct, and it hasn't failed me yet," she replied with a sad grin.

"We can't predict the future, Calm Waters. Something's happened to them by now. Little Creek, Silent Wind, and Swift Deer are much too careful to get lost or injured by any animal."

"How can you say such a thing?" she exclaimed. "You've don nothing but mope around our pasture, waiting for their death ceremony! If you are so fond of my sister, you could have more faith in her, and the same goes for the others!"

She snapped at me when I tried to make amends, her teeth gleaming in the dark, and then marched away to rejoin the others. She was absolutely right. . . I was such a fool.

I walked over to the others some time after that, and Calm Waters did not look at me. I understood, and I wanted to smooth everything over, but I wasn't about to anger her further. Dusk and Brook had their heads bowed and their eyes closed, apparently asleep. I hoped they were asleep, and were not ignoring me.

I dozed for a little while, and was on the verge of sleep when I herd voices in the village. I thought Star's party had come back, but it was only the hunting party. I greeted them, of course, but I wasn't too interested in their tales. Then, after some more time passed, we heard hoof-beats and excited chatter, and a few people left their tents.

"Is it them? Are they back?" Sierra asked, her ears pinned forward.

The wind kicked up at that moment, as if to answer her question, and carried the scents of Graceful Maiden, Star, and Rain to us. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness!" Dusk exclaimed.

Rain appeared out of the darkness, highlighted by the faint glow of a fire, next to a shadowy figure of a horse with two feathers in its mane. She spotted us and nudged the horse beside her, and galloped over to us. She rubbed heads with Storm and Sierra, and began to talk about the journey and finding horses in the desert. I sidled so as to give her room, and waited for Star and Graceful Maiden to come. I think my ears were about to touch, for they were so far forward.

Finally, the other mares trotted over to us and touched muzzles with everyone. The grey mare nipped at my mane playfully and left to converse with Dusk, leaving Star and I alone.

"I'm glad you're back," I said quietly.

"So am I," she replied. "I don't know how the army horses survive with those soldiers. They're horrible!"

"I know how you feel, believe me."

"You do?"

"Yes. Some of the village's horses, including my parents, and their riders were killed some time ago, when they'd gone hunting."

Her eyes grew wide and hr head snapped back in alarm. Then she rubbed her head against mine. "I'm so sorry, Clear Sky. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"Don't apologize. You couldn't have known."

She sighed and shifted uneasily. The others had moved away, probably on purpose, and were talking quietly on their own. I wasn't sure what to say to break the silence that had stretched between us, but I didn't have to wait long.

"Do you truly enjoy living here?" she asked.

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to your people for sheltering Calm Waters, Brook, and I, and I'm glad to have met all of your. However. . ." She hung her head.

"Star?" I pressed.

". . . I wish to go back sometimes."

"Go back where?"

"To my homeland. . . to the open skies, green plains, gentle breezes. . . . I miss it. But I'm not the only one."

"What?"

"I'm sure the stallion feels the same way."

"Stallion? What stallion?"

She tipped her head to the side. "We brought a stallion back with us? You didn't scent him?"

"No," I said, bewildered. "Where did he come from?"

"He was running away from a cavalry post. He'd been captured by rustlers and brought there, and had been trying to escape for days."

I'm sure you already know who the stallion is, and what happened to him in the following months, so I will not go into that. I will, however, skip to the day that I will never forget.

It was still warm during the day, as autumn had not fully set in yet, and we were talking amongst ourselves in the afternoon sun. Rain walked by, coming from the corral, and probably intended to go to the apple tree on the nearby hill. Soaring Eagle cantered to her, his zeal to be with her evident.

"Hi, Rain!" he said. "Where's Raging Fire?" (That was the name we'd given the buckskin stallion.)

"'In the enclosure. Little Creek is trying to tame him again. I doubt he'll make any progress." She smiled and walked away, and Soaring Eagle pranced back to us, beaming at what he thought was a great achievement on his part. He could not understand that her heart was with the stallion.

"She has a point," he said. "That mustang will never let anyone ride him. He's too wild."

"Being a mustang makes no difference!" Brook exclaimed. "My aunt is a mustang and is as good a riding horse as your mother!"

"She's right," Storm said. "I've known mustangs to take to carrying a human without much complaint, while some captive horses never do so."

The pinto was about to go on, but he snapped his head up instead, rising onto his hind legs. He squealed a warning that carried on the wind. We turned to follow his gaze and shrieked in alarm. Two long, horizontal rows of cavalrymen behind a man wearing a large-brimmed hat tore down the hill that led to the village.

The army had found us.


	6. The Attack

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Dreamworks' or Kathleen Duey's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 6: The Attack**

I was running without thinking, looking for Half Moon frantically, wanting the horrible men to go away.

I passed Dusk as she was being loaded with a large bundle, and I thundered by several young women as they ran screaming from their tent, but I could not find my rider. I wove through the village, narrowly avoiding army horses as their riders drove them everywhere and anywhere. Dust was hanging over the ground in a cloud, affecting my senses. I could not see Half Moon, nor could I scent him. I ran around the village in a wide arc and stopped, holding my head high and swiveling my ears to and fro as I trembled. Where was he? Had he been killed already?

"Clear Sky!"

I looked to my left and saw my rider running from a mounted soldier, the latter with a gun in his hand, aimed at Half Moon's back. I snorted and charged forward, intending to make the army horse throw the man from his back. As I drew near, the brown stallion's face contorted in fear, and he rose onto his rear legs after skidding to a stop. The soldier yelled and swore at him and, getting no response, flung himself around in the saddle and aimed the gun at me. Half Moon was yelling, too, urging me to turn around, but I pressed on. I was going to protect him with my life if I had to.

The army horse saw that I was quite willing to be shot and brought his front legs to the ground abruptly, throwing his rider off balance and ruining his aim. I swung around joined Hal Moon, who had moved away to a safer location.

"You crazy horse! What were you thinking?" he admonished. "Never mind. We have more important things to worry about." He picked up an abandoned gun and climbed onto my back, firing at the soldier who had been chasing him minutes before. Then, without looking back, he led me into battle at a canter. A soldier was harassing two girls. Half Moon let out a war cry and pulled the trigger. The soldier went down and we thundered by.

We cut through the village and doubled back, ready for the next encounter with the enemy. From afar, we heard, "Some of the native are escaping across the river!"

"Go after them and stop them!"

Half Moon turned to look toward the rushing water, and I followed his gaze. Dusk had another bundle on her back, Calm Waters was carrying two children on her back while their mother led her along by a rope, and Brook was dragging a wooden sleigh behind her. They had just stepped into the water, and were not yards away from the shore. The mounted soldiers were not far behind. If they were captured, they would be killed!

Half Moon turned me toward the escapees, urging me forward, and fired a shot into the air. The soldiers pulled their horses up and looked at us. I was allowed to gallop, and I dug my hooves into the ground as I hurtled forward. Neither the soldiers nor the horses flinched when my rider fired off a fourth shot, hitting none of them. He quickly fired two more, using up the last two rounds, still hitting nothing. Drawing closer, he flipped the gun around and clubbed one of the men in the head with the back of it. The man in blue cried out and slumped over in pain. One of his companions stayed with him while the others followed us as we ran a circle around the village. One of them drew uncomfortably close, and I was sure his horses' legs would hit mine and cause one of us to stumble.

We ducked into the village once again. Seconds passed when Half Moon's weight disappeared from my back. I managed to avoid being draped in a falling animal-skin tent before I was seized by mounted and unmounted soldiers. I struggled, wanting to find Half Moon, but the men pulled hard on the ropes they had thrown around my neck. I had no choice but to follow, leaving the home I'd known my entire life. Would I be sold to the soldiers in blue? Would I be all alone in a fort somewhere?

"Colonel!" one of the men in front of me called.

A stern-looking man with the large blue hat, in a slight state of dishevelment, turned around to look at the man with me. He was frowning, and the long mustache he sported added to his irritated expression.

"What is it, Sergeant Larke?" the Colonel asked.

"Sir, we've captured the stallion that belonged to the native who killed Private Johnson."

'Where is the Lakota now?"

"My men are taking care of him as we speak, Sir, along with a whole lot of the warriors. He and the stout one with a feather in his hair will be the first ones to go, to be sure."

The Colonel nodded, and then came over and looked me over, ignoring my anxious and frustrated fidgeting. I hoped "...taking care of him..." didn't mean killing Half Moon.

"He should do nicely. Good find."

"Thank you, Sir. What shall I do with him?"

"Put him with the two mares."

"'Sir." He turned to the other men with me. "Let's go, boys."

None too gently, with a great deal of resistence on my part, I was led to a stand of birch trees, beyond the army horses' resting place. Waiting for me were Star and Graceful Maiden.

"They've been captured, too?!" I thought, trotting forward a little.

"Oh, sure, now he cooperates!" a soldier behind me grumbled. I lashed out with my hind foot, not sorry to hear him scream in pain.

"Maybe we should let him cover those two and get it over with. It'll make this a helluva lot easier," said another soldier.

"We can't," said a third. "We need all the horses we can get. 'Won't help if two of 'em are gonna foal."

They tied me up a few paces away from Graceful Maiden and Star, and I was kept separate from them from the time the men packed everything up after the raid until the first stop we made two days later, so I could not talk to them. They looked drained and out of touch, and I wasn't sure if my company would be appreciated. Eventually, however, Star came out of her trance and spoke to me. I don't think she truly realized Graceful Maiden and I were there. What had happened?

"Star," I said softly to her on the second night's stop, "are you all right? What happened before you were captured?"

She told me, and I honestly don't remember the exact detail of how and when it had happened. One thing was clear: Swift Deer was dead.

"I'm so sorry, Star," I said.

She nodded slowly, and then seemed to remember something. "Have you heard about Silent Wind? I can't get through to Graceful Maiden, and I thought it might have to do with him."

"...Yes. One of the soldiers was talking about...killing a stout man with a feather in his hair."

"No!" she exclaimed, startling the other horses awake.

I waited for the to return to their dozing before answering her. "I'm afraid so."

"Poor Graceful Maiden! She was as close to him as she was to us."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do."

"What of Half Moon?"

They had probably killed him by now, along with Silent Wind and the other warriors. "I...I don't know. He fell from my back, and I was captured right after that, so..." I sidled and tenderly rubbed my muzzle against hers.

"I'm sorry, Clear Sky."

"It's all right. It was an honest question to ask."

"Do you know where we're being taken?"

"No, but I don't think it's the fort. I heard the men talking about something bigger and more important."

"We could just be a source of food for them–"

"No, no, no, Star. They would have killed us by now if that was the case. They need us alive, but I don't know why."

"Maybe the army needs more horses like the village did."

"Maybe."

"I'm scared, Clear Sky."

"...So am I."


	7. The Railroad

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Dreamworks' or Kathleen Duey's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 7: The Railroad**

Well, we'd found out what we were being captured for. The humans were working on a way to connect the eastern and western ends of the land; they were building something called a railroad to do it. Incredible lengths of metal and wood were laid down along the ground, mountains and rivers and all. Great metal machines were supposed to move along the metal strips, pulling rolling boxes behind them so humans could move around more easily. The workmen more than likely needed horsepower to help clear the land.

We—Graceful Maiden, Star, and I, that is—were in one of these rolling boxes, which the men called "cattle-cars." There still weren't enough horses for this project of their, apparently, so we weren't being moved yet.

I was looking at the clearing through the slats in the cattle-car. Graceful Maiden was standing with me on my right. Star was lying on the floor at the other end of the car, unconscious, because she had been drugged with chloroform. (We had to walk up a plank of wood to get into the car, and she had panicked, so a workman had put a rag with the chloroform to her nose.) She had collapsed as soon as she had stopped walking, and has not woken up since.

I couldn't believe we were here, being taken away from our beloved human caretakers. Was it only a few months ago that I was talking to Star when she came back from her adventure—no, her duty—beyond the valley?

That had been such a nice night, no matter what we talked about. Yes, our own conversation under the stars….

"'Bright Star of the West'," I thought. Such a long name did not suit her. Something like, "Starry Night" was much better.

I looked over at the mare, sad to see the feathers gone from her mane. If I saw the man who took them again, there was _going_ to be trouble!

"She'll be fine, Clear Sky," Graceful Maiden said quietly. "She looks more comfortable now."

"Mm," I replied in agreement. I looked at her for another moment, and then went back to staring through the slats.

"All of this makes me wonder how different I would have been if I hadn't escaped from the fort. I might've been sent here, as a mount for a soldier in the raid."

"Don't say things like that. The life an army horse leads does not seem like a good one."

"And ours was better at the village?" she asked calmly, seemingly unaware that I had just insulted her own army horse heritage.

"Of course!"

"I think they're pretty equal in the level of danger. Either way, horses are easily killed."

I sighed and leaned my head against the side of the car. I didn't want to talk about the army or anything else depressing at that point.

I dozed periodically, and was there to greet Star when she awoke from the effects of the chloroform. More horses were loaded onto other cars. I wanted to be in the village where we belonged. I thought of the life we could have had in the village if the soldiers had never found us. Maybe we could have been partnered during the mating season, and we would have had foals running around the village and becoming warhorses for Loud Fox's best warriors.

Then, in the hours before daybreak, we were all startled out of our sleep by voices outside. The workmen were bringing another horse onto the train, and they had chosen our car. The door slid open and a stallion stepped in. I didn't recognize him at first, but Star was the one to point out that it was our friend, Raging Fire. I was happy to see him, naturally, but I couldn't understand how he had been captured. Rain's human Little Creek had not been able to ride him. How had the soldiers taken him, then?

We whinnied to him cheerfully, happy to see another friendly face, but we were not answered. He looked at us solemnly and walked to the other side of the car.

This wasn't the Raging Fire that had been disgusted with the idea of being painted.

The door was slammed closed, and then the entire car jerked to life, trundling along the rails. The land outside began to slide past us. We were all silent, and then I remembered that Rain had not entered the car with Raging Fire. Had she been placed in another one?

"Where's Rain?"

"I don't know. I figured she would have been with _him_," Graceful Maiden replied, tilting her head towards the dun stallion.

He looked up at us again, and Star whinnied to him. He merely snorted and looked away. We three turned to one another, puzzled, and I decided to bring him food. I thought it might help lift his spirits.

I let the straw fall in a pile in front of him; he looked at me with the same dull expression on his face. "Here, eat," I said.

He turned away after I nudged the pile towards him, and I hung my head in defeat. This was bad. If Raging Fire was this depressed, this removed from the world, this unenthused, what chance did we have of leaving this situation alive? Would we be doomed to work on the railroad forever?


	8. Raging Fire's Plan

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Dreamworks' or Kathleen Duey's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 8: Raging Fire's Plan**

Then, I saw the other stallion pick his head up and smile at us. The determined light in his eyes had returned, miraculously. I, along with Star and Graceful Maiden, whinnied at him. He accepted our invitation and came over to greet us.

"We'll get out of here," he said. "You'll see."

"I hope you're right, Raging Fire," I said.

"Trust me. We _can_ escape these men. We just need to wait for the right moment to make our move.

"But, there are a lot of men here," Graceful Maiden countered. "Won't they just catch us again?"

"They won't if we overwhelm them."

I don't know if the mares realized it or not, but I noticed that no mention of Rain had been made. There was plenty of room in the our car—there _was_ just the three of us inside, after all—so I doubted that she had been placed in a different one. I waited for Graceful Maiden and Star to fall asleep before padding over to the stallion's side of the car. He was watching the land go by through the slats in the wood, as I had done only a few days ago.

I nickered deep in my throat to get his attention; he jumped and looked at me. "Clear Sky? Is something wrong?"

"Well, ah, I wondered where Rain was, is all." The pained look on his face startled me, and then I had the sickening feeling that the mare was not at all well, wherever she was. "Never mind, Raging Fire. You don't—"

"Rain was shot in the shoulder."

"What?" I asked in shock.

"She was shot by the colonel, and…I don't know if she is still alive."

"Oh, no," I muttered. No wonder he had been so depressed!

He said nothing to me after that, and I decided to go back to my side of the car. Poor Rain—Sierra and Storm, too, if they knew what had happened.

Not long after this—in the middle of the morning, I think—the train came to a stop, and the door was pulled open. A man grabbed the rope that was tied around Raging Fire's head and attached another, longer rope to it. He did not lead the stallion out of the car right away, for whatever reason, leaving him free to look around. We came up behind him and looked for ourselves.

Having seen all of the workers walking around, I nickered to Raging Fire, "There's no way—"

"Don't say such a thing," he replied quickly, and he looked ahead again confidently.

I wish I could have done the same. I was horrified.

* * *

Dragging a new engine over a steep hill—_that's_ what we were needed for.

Raging Fire and I were the lead horses on the left side, third group from the front and closest to the engine. Star and Graceful Maiden were right behind us, and I could only wonder what we'd done to deserve this.

"Ready to go!"

"Yah!"

We threw our weight against the heavy collars and, slowly over the course of a few days, dragged the engine up the hill. We were not truly able to rest. We were allowed to stop _walking_, but when we were told to stop, we still had to pull against the weight of the engine. It was grueling, to be honest, and I worried how long it would be before we were all worn out.

Eventually, we reached the top of the hill. Raging Fire became very nervous at the sight of the land before us. I listlessly followed his gaze towards the engine, and then put my head down. I had no intention of trying to figure out what had come over him.

Then, he dug his hooves into the ground and began to throw himself around in his harness. The other horses whinnied in confusion and frustration. We heard workmen screaming in terror as the engine began to slip backward and running up the hill to settle him. I was sure he would be taken away and beaten (or shot). Just as the men reached him, he fell onto his side, none too gracefully. I heard gasps from the others.

A man came to his side and lifted his eyelid. "Get the mules up here!"

"No!" I thought.

What would we do now? Raging Fire was the expert in escaping, not us. We'd be with these humans for the rest of our lives for sure!

I felt myself shaking as I turned back to Star and Graceful Maiden.

"What now?"

"We'll escape, Clear Sky. It may just take longer, that's all," Star replied.

I think this sense of determination is common to all born-mustangs.

Another wave of whinnies from the horses to our right interrupted my thoughts. They were looking back at the engine and voicing their support for…well, whatever was back there.

"What is it?" the coppery mare behind me asked.

"I don't know," Graceful Maiden said. "Clear Sky?"

"I don't know what it is, either," I replied.


	9. Escape

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Dreamworks' or Kathleen Duey's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 9: Escape**

Raging Fire seemed to answer our questions by leaping over the chain between the last pair of horses in the team and the engine itself. Workmen encircled him, hoping to corner him and catch him. Star, Graceful Maiden, and I added our own happy whinnies to the others'. He kicked the connector that joined the chains to the engine and broke it, and the horses took off at a run. I was glad that they were free, and that we'd soon follow suit, but that feeling of quickly disappeared when the full weight of the engine began to pull us down the hill with it. I was scolding myself for thinking too soon when the pull of the chain suddenly disappeared with a loud snap. I immediately galloped away, Star and Graceful Maiden at my side. We charged up the hill and topped crest. Below us was a stretch of track and workers with heavy hammers struggling with horses that had been freed before us.

I took one last look back at the buckskin stallion and grinned at him; he smiled back and whinnied. "Go free, my friend," he seemed to say.

Star was inspired by the sight and pulled out in front of us, using the strength of her wild ancestors. Graceful Maiden and I tried to get her to slow down, for we were going too fast for the workers to react as it was.

"Keep up, don't stop! We can get to the woods and the open country!" she cried over her shoulder.

I don't know about Graceful Maiden, but my lungs and legs were burning from pulling the engine and setting off at a flat-out run. But, I knew I had to catch up to Star if I wanted to live, so I imagined myself alongside my parents and the rest of the hunting party from the village. Most of all, I imagined running beside Star as we chased down a buffalo.

Something tickled my nose, and I looked up to find that I had caught up to Star. Graceful Maiden whinnied loudly when she caught up to _me_. We were going to make it!

Star looked back and whinnied again, and then she veered off to a hidden trail. I somehow managed to follow her without stumbling, but Graceful Maiden was not so lucky. She skidded on the dirt and could not recover, giving workmen enough time to surround her. Star and I started back to help, but she stopped us.

"Go on without me!" she cried.

"We can't just leave you here!" Star replied.

"I'll be fine! You two get out of here!"

"No! Not until we rescue you!"

"Hey, there are two horses over there! Take them!" someone shouted.

We cringed when a man whipped out his pistol and aimed at us. Graceful Maiden reared up and struck him on the back of the head, sending the gleaming metal to the ground.

"Go! Run!" she insisted.

I nodded and nudged Star forward. "Let her be all right," I thought sadly.


	10. On Our Own

**Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Dreamworks' or Kathleen Duey's characters in any way, shape, or form.**

**Part 2: Clear Sky**

**Chapter 10: On Our Own**

We came to rest in a meadow, our breath clouding in front of our noses. I could have sworn the sweat was freezing solid as it ran down my legs.

"We…have to go…back," Star panted.

"No, it's too dangerous. We should keep moving."

"We can't keep going! We have to find Graceful Maiden!"

"We'll only bring unwanted attention, Star! The men know which way we went, as well. They'll wait and search for us."

"She's our friend, Clear Sky. What kind of friends would we be if we did nothing?"

"Stop being so heroic, Star! She wouldn't have sent us away if she knew she would be overwhelmed!"

Star snorted and led off in a huff, her ears swiveling around. Our harnesses were still attached to us, and they made walking very uncomfortable. I hoped we'd be able to get rid of them before winter really set in. We were eventually able to take them off when we stopped for water that evening.

"Starry Night," I said. "What do we do now?"

"We have to get out of these trees. It won't take them long to find us. 'That said, let's go."

"_Now?_" I thought. "Oh well."

* * *

Star proved to be a good leader as we left the forest and entered the grassland. Even when we were trapped by the heavy snow mid-winter and when we had nothing to eat but old, slimy grass and tree bark, she never let a negative thought come to mind. I was technically a mustang now, but the realization didn't really hit me until we had company. That is, I didn't feel like a leader until we began to pick up other horses.

Our first companion was a blue-eyed grey filly that we've named Sturdy Oak. (She was sheltering under some oak trees when we met her, hence the name.) After that, we took in a grey paint, now named Rolling Thunder, and her sorrel half-brother, Lightning. They were all very nice, and I befriended them quickly.

Having all of these other horses with me did make me worry (which is supposed to happen, I guess). What if I had to fight a stallion that was much larger than me, more experienced than me, more ruthless than me?

I will say that there is nothing complex about fights between stallions—'just a lot of biting and kicking, roaring and posturing. The only time I was truly frightened was during a fight with a large, black stallion. We tried to pass through the valley surrounding a stream, and his band was trying to do the same. He thought I wanted to take his mares from him, and, long story short, were involved in a fight so ferocious that he was tempted to crush my skull. But one of his mares, a pretty palomino mare, stepped up against him on my behalf. She boldly told him that she would not stay with a brute like him. He begrudgingly went away with his band, minus the palomino.

And that's how Moonbeam joined us.

Star and I grew even closer as winter turned into spring, and with the changing weather came our new outlook on life. We were completely free of people, of railroads, free of everything that could take us away from the beautiful, green territory we had claimed for our own. Moonbeam gave birth to a little brown filly, whom has since been named Nava. Star's and my son, a handsome grey colt we have named Red River, came into the world the spring after that, after Sturdy Oak's and Rolling Thunder's foals came.

Whenever a foal looked at me with large, bright eyes, I thought of my parents as I remembered them before they were killed. I had seen them standing as I did when they watched me run around and play, or when we went out hunting. They'd looked so incredibly happy, and I hadn't really understood why until I saw my own offspring in front of me. Simply put, they were _my_ foals, the result of a private encounter between the mare and I, and to see them in real life sparked my drive to protect them with my life. I wanted to be the stallion my mares trusted and supported.

No wonder Raging Fire had been so determined to go back to his herd. The feeling of being with them is so…wonderful.

I wonder if he made it back.

* * *

_Hello, all! It's finally finished! After all this time, Clear Sky's story has been told!_

_Did you all like it?_

_Characters for all parts of the Lakota Life Series_

_* (Indicates a character who not named in the movie, and is therefore not my own; he/she does appear more than once in the stories.)_

_** (Indicates my original character/s; he/she does appear more than once in the stories.)_

_Lakota Life Part 2: Clear Sky_

_**Calm Waters and **Brook–Star's older sister and niece, respectively. The former is chestnut with a darker mane, tail, and legs; the latter is palomino._

_*Sierra and *Rain–Mother and daughter, we meet the former at the end of Kathleen Duey's book, Bonita, and the letter at the end of Sierra (also by Kathleen Duey). Sierra is sorrel with white splotches on her face, body, and legs; (we all know what Rain looks like)._

_*Storm–Sierra's mate and Rain's father. We meet him in Sierra. He is a black-and-white pinto._

_**Dusk and **Soaring Eagle–Mother and son, the former is the mount of **Chief Loud Fox, and the latter is the mount of one of the village's warriors. Dusk is a black-and-white paint, and Soaring Eagle is a brown-and-white pinto._

_*Bright Star of the West–The sorrel mare we see when Spirit escapes from the fort. She has yellow dots on her left shoulder, two feathers in her mane, and is ridden by *Swift Deer (the man wearing a loincloth in the aforementioned scene). She is later re-named Starry Night by Clear Sky._

_*Graceful Maiden–The grey mare—I'm assuming it's a mare—we see when Spirit leaves the fort. She has three black horseshoes on her left shoulder, and is ridden by *Silent Wind (the man wearing a feather in his hair and long deerskin pants in the aforementioned scene)._

_*Clear Sky–The grey stallion we see when Spirit and Rain tour the village. He wears blue paint around his right eye and a feather in his mane, and is ridden by **Half Moon._

_**Moonbeam and **Nava–Members of Star's and Clear Sky's herd, Moonbeam left her stallion during the winter in favor of our heroes' band, and gave birth to her daughter that spring. The former is palomino, and the latter is brown._

_**Sturdy Oak–A member of Star's and Clear Sky's herd, she was found sheltered under oak trees after being expelled from her herd. She is light grey._

_**Rolling Thunder and **Lightning–Members of Star's and Clear Sky's herd, they left after their mother urged them to leave their overbearing stallion. The former is a grey paint, and the latter is sorrel with a white stripe and sock on his left leg._

_**Kita and Dark Shadow–Clear Sky's parents. They were killed when the hunting party was attacked by soldiers from the army. Kita was a bit darker than her son; Dark Shadow, as his name suggests, was a very dark grey._

_**Rona–Storm's half-sister. She was killed alongside Clear Sky's parents._

_**Red River—Clear Sky's and Star's son, a little grey colt like his father._


End file.
